Honors College Theses

Publication Date

4-9-2024

Major

International Studies (B.A.)

Document Type and Release Option

Thesis (open access)

Faculty Mentor

Dr. William Biebuyck

Abstract

Biosphere reserves exist officially as “learning places for sustainable development,” yet they also embody an attempt to bring together ecological governance with market-based and localized solutions to the problem of economic development (UNESCO, 2020). This thesis investigates the conditions under which biosphere reserves became reimagined as an all-encompassing solution to such a diverse set of global governance challenges. I explore the relationship between biosphere reserves and the evolving discourse on sustainable development within global governance. Drawing on Foucault-inspired literature on governmentality and “technologies of governance,” I examine the practices, discourses, and subjects that have made biosphere reserves visible and governable in new ways while deconstructing this important space of transformation within global governance. In developing the empirical analysis, my research focuses on a unique case study – the Santa Marta Biosphere Reserve. My thesis employs as qualitative research design and utilizes methods including content analysis, semi-structured interviews, and narrative analysis. Following the case study analysis and interpretation, my thesis concludes with a discussion on the implications of this research for our understanding of biosphere reserves specifically and global governance at large.

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